Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.
Parallel translations
- WEB Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.
- BSB Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.
- NKJV Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.
- NASB Ill-gotten gains do not benefit, But righteousness rescues from death.
- NLT Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. Wickedly gained wealth cannot save, while righteousness does.
Overview
Wealth obtained through wickedness offers no lasting benefit, for it cannot rescue from death or judgment. Righteousness, by contrast, has saving power that earthly riches lack. This anticipates the gospel truth that no amount of wealth can redeem the soul; only the righteousness God provides delivers from death (Psalm 49:7-8; Romans 5:18-19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Prov 11:4Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
- Prov 12:28In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death.
- Ps 49:6–10They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
- Prov 21:6The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
- Zeph 1:18Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
- Ezek 7:19They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
- Rom 5:21That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Dan 4:27Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
- Isa 10:2–3To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!
- Luke 16:22–23And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
- Phil 3:9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
- Rom 2:5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
- Luke 12:15–21And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
- Jas 5:1–3Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 10:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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